Epics
were being written in the poetic form itself. At the same time verses that
lacked the essential rhyme and rhythm were also being written in the magazines.
Right from the period of Sangam literature these trends could be seen.
This remained the profession as well as the heart's content of the poet's
clan. But, listening to the tales continued to be the prime interest of
the general public. From old to young, people loved tales. A period of
illiteracy when people didn't know to read or write. The tales of the rural
side, moral stories, stories from epics and anecdotes were used to satiate
this appetite of the general masses. In the last century, with rise of
capitalism and that of the middle-class which is literate when people started
leaving their native villages and came to settle in the towns and cities
and lead a kind of secluded life new literary forms such as the novel and
short-story came to be in simple prose style so as to fulfil their emotional
needs.

With the development
of printing technology these new literary forms too developed and it resulted
in the decay of the ancient forms of poetry and verse. If we leaf through
the pages of the popular magazines of today we can perceive this all too
clearly. Their will not be totally gone or done away with. But, just one
or two pages alone are being allotted for these old forms. Poetry will
always remain intact to be sung with music. It endeavours to stay on with
new names as like Prose-Poetry, Neo-Poetry, Haiku poems and so on. All
these also would be seen mostly as but a feeling or message usually conveyed
in Prose-style , having been said in several lines with the words and lines
arranged in such a way as one below another so as to give it a semblance
of poetry. The rhyme, metre and rhythm are not to be found anymore. Mostly
they are statements. Because of this, with the poems joining hands with
the musical art forms and so staying on, the verse form is fast losing
its poetic characteristics. This is my perception. Novel and short story
are developing into the neo art forms. In the last one century the short-story
form has come to have a great hold and influence on the Tamil literary
field. Every year thousands of short stories are being written by hundreds
of writers. So far, there has not been any hard and fast rules formulated
for this literary-form. Works of such veteran writers as Pudumaipithan
have become models for the growth and development of this form. We can
evaluate short stories and novels on the bais of the very basic perceptions,
which hold that for any form of art, there are what we call a structure,
social relevance and responsibility, form and contents.

I was given
the anthology of short stories written by Sri Lankan Tamils who are immigrants.
Titled, 'Paniyum Pannayum' meaning 'The snow and the Palmra', the book
was given to me by the sub-editor of 'The Hindu' for review. When I read
all the stories in the anthology 'A cow's tale' cought my attention very
much. In my review I had made especial mention about that story. Before
two months when I was conversing with Mr. Nithiyananthan who was formerly
a lecturer of the Jaffna University, before he left for Paris. I told him
that this was the story I liked most in the anthology. He too expressed
the same view. It was through that story only that I was introduced to
Mr.Giritharan, the author of this book. Going down the memory lane and
relieving all those momentsI read this anthology eagerly.

Giritharn has
shaped the stories on all that he has seen and experienced in the land
wherein he had sought refuge. This would be something very new to Tamils,
Sri Lankan Tamil and to the foreigners. No doubt about that. Mostly entwining
himself into the story as an essential character and adopting the first
person figure of speech he has tried to tell the story and its incidents.
This very trait can make the story authentic and enable the reader identify
himself/herself with its course and characterizations. The author has also
tried to give a profound message in each and every story in the anthology.
One can say that it was that drive that had him impetus to write. In his
first story, he brings the man who dies after living his entire life by
the side of a manhole to stand before he who was formulating laws in front
of the Parliament of Ontario. In the story 'Ponthup Paravaigal(The Hollow
existence)' he shows a man living in a small room and going to work with
knee problem being saved from fire by a black-man of Jamaica who has been
looked down by the former all the time, and so upholds a humanness that
has no caste, color or creed. In the story, 'A Co(w)nference Problem' (Oru
Maa(naa)ttupp Prachanai), a Cow which escapes from the slaughterhouse desiring
to have the freedom to live causes traffic jam. Through its struggle the
author describes the present condition of the Sri Lankan tamil. The style
and the content of the story makes it a striking example of a good short
story. That the source of human life, sexual needs are the same for one
and all irrespective of their class and caste is told convincingly with
absolutely no obscenity in the depiction of those walking hither and thither
in Young street. With the help of a little rat he has tried to speak about
the significance of existentialism that has man at its center. In 'Kanavan'
and in 'Oru Mudivum Vidivum' he highlights the idea that one shouldn't
worry about the days of hi/her life -partner prior to their marriage.

'America' is
the longest story of the collection. In this he has dealt with the rules
and realities of America in a humorous vein. How refugees are handled and
treated by the American laws are brought forth in a detailed manner in
this story. Giritharan proves himself as a significant Short-story writer
from Srilankan Tamil in the ever-widening expanse of the Tamil literary
field. This story-collection is also noteworthy in another aspect, in that
it proves once again that books written in English on the plights and perils
of the refugees as well as the 'Sons of the Soil' can never be as effective
and as informative as those written in Tamil.